javawrapperprimitive-types

When to use wrapper class and primitive type


When I should go for wrapper class over primitive types? Or On what circumstance I should choose between wrapper / Primitive types?


Solution

  • Others have mentioned that certain constructs such as Collections require objects and that objects have more overhead than their primitive counterparts (memory & boxing).

    Another consideration is:

    It can be handy to initialize Objects to null or send null parameters into a method/constructor to indicate state or function. This can't be done with primitives.

    Many programmers initialize numbers to 0 (default) or -1 to signify this, but depending on the scenario, this may be incorrect or misleading.

    This will also set the scene for a NullPointerException when something is being used incorrectly, which is much more programmer-friendly than some arbitrary bug down the line.